Ore-mixing machine.



No'. 664,059. Patentd nec. la, 1900.-

J. P. scnucn, I. ORE MIXING MACHINE.

'Appl at on l d Nov 29 1898) 2 Sheets-Sheet l..

No. 664,059. Patemtedem.` I8, |900.

.1. P. scHucH, 1n.

',RE'MIXING MACHINE. (Application led Nov. 29, 1i498.) (No Modal.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.`

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' NrTED STATES ATENT Fries..

JOHN PHILIP SCHUOH, JR., OF CRIPPLE CREEK, COLORADO.

ORE-MIXING MACHINE.

SBECIFICATION forming part of Letters `Patent No. 664,059, datedDecember 18, 1900.

I Application filed November 29, 1898. Serial Nol69'7, 780. (No model.)

To LZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN PHILIP SoHUcH, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Cripple Greek, in the county of El Paso and State ofColorado, have invented a new and useful Ore-Mixing Machine, of whichthe following is a specication.

This invention relates to an improved oremixing machine designedespecially for use in connection with a process of extracting preciousmetals from their ores through the medium of a cyanid solution.

Herelofore in treat-in g gold-bearing ores by the common cyanid processthe ore is first crushed, dried, and rolled to aproper degree offineness, and that which requires roasting, is then conveyed to theroasters, While the oxidized ore, which does not require roasting isconveyed to the bin or receptacle therefor. After the portions of theore to be roasted have passed through this step of the process the sameis conveyed to the cooling-room before being deposited in the bin orreceptacle referred to, which containsthe ore requiring no roasting. Allof the ore is then removed by manual labor into the ordinary stationarycyaniding-tanks, and after these tanks are filled with the ore thecyanid solution is introduced therein. In this process the filledcyanid-tanks, withlthe solution and ore therein, are permitted to remainfilled and unmolested for a sufficient length of time for Ythe solutionto act on the ore, after which the gold-bearingsolution is drawn off andallowed to flow to the precipitation-room, while the` tailings in thetank are then washed with water and shoveled out or sluiced out whenthis is possible. In this process, which is the one usually followed outin extracting gold and silver from their ores by the use ofcyanogen-containing solvents, the percentage extracted rarelyexceedseightyper cent. of the ore value, and it is the purpose of thepresent invention to provide means whereby a larger percent. of thevalue of the ores may be saved. f

To this end the invention contemplates an improved mixingmachine whichprovides for a thorough aeration of the ore and solution, while at thesame time providing for a mixing of various grades of ore with thecyanid solution, so as to make one even grade out of ores of variousvalues.

With these and other objects in view, which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in thenovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore fully described, illustrated and claimed.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention arenecessarily susceptible to modification, still the preferred embodimentof the invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a perspective view of an oremixing machine constructed inaccordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionalview thereof. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the machine. Fig. 4 is adetail in perspective of the revoluble agitator.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 designates anupright tank of the required capacity and which is preferably of acylindrical form. The said tank is provided with an open upper endsurrounded at its peripheral top edge with an annular track-groove 2,the purpose of which will be presently explained in connection with therevoluble agitator forming a part of the machine. The upright tank 1 isclosed at its lower end by the main bottom 3, which has formed in itsupper side an annular draingutter 4, which is pierced at intervals bythe drain openings or ports 5,in which are fitted one end of the branchpipes 6, arranged beneath the lower end of the tank, and at this pointit may be observed that the tank is supported on a suitable base orsupportingpillars 7, which provide a bottom space below the tank for thepiping 6 and the gearing hereinafter referred to. Each of the drainopenings or ports 5 has a branch-pipe connection 6 therewith, and eachof the several branch pipes 6 is provided with a controllingvalve 8,which may be used to cut off or regulate the iow of the solutiontherethrough, and all of said branch pipes 6 converge to and connectwith a common drainage-pipe 9, which leads to the usualprecipitation-boxes in the precipitation-room, it being understood thatthe gold-bearing solution which percolates to the main bottom of thetank and the drain-gutter -1 thereof must be conveyed to theprecipitation-room to provide for precipitating the precious metal fromthe solution.

Supported within the bottom portion of the tank 1 is a strainerconsisting of a false-bottom plate 1Q and superposed brous sheets 11 and12, arranged above the said false-bottom plate 10 and together forming astraining or filtering strata through which the goldbearing solutionmust pass before reaching the drainage-pipe 9 and serving to collect andretain sand, slime, and other impurities contained in the ore or evolvedby the chemical action of the cyanid solution thereon. The false-bottomplate 10 of the strainer is arranged directly above the main bottom 3 ofthe tank and constitutes a false bottom for the latter, and saidfalse-bottom plate is provided in the fiat surface thereof with aplurality of concentric drip-grooves 12', each of which grooves ispierced by a multiplicity of drip openings or perforations 13, throughwhich the gold-bearing solution escapes and flows directly onto the mainbottom of the tank. In addition to the plurality of concentric groovesor drip openings or perforations the false bottom 10 is provided with aperipheral upstanding fiange 14, which forms a seat within which isplaced the intermediate fibrous sheet 12, which fibrous sheet 12 ispreferably made of cocoa matting and which is retained in place by thesecond and upper fibrous sheet 11, preferably of canvas and having itsedges stretched over the upstanding peripheral flange 14 and heldagainst the same by the annular retaining-band 15, which encircles thesaid flange 14 of the false-bottom plate 10. By reason of theconstruction described it will be obvious that a very effective straineror filter is provided, while at the same time the fibrous sheets 11 and12 thereof are readily removable and replaceable.

The strainer or filter within the bottom portion of the tank 1 not onlyserves to collect and retain the impurities, but effects a separationbetween the gold-bearing solution and the ore pulp or slush, which isnecessarily mixed with more or less of the solution as the result of themixing operation within the mixing-tank, and to provide for carrying offsaid ore pulp or slush which does not penetrate the strainer orfilterthe tank 1 has fitted thereto, preferably at one side and near thebottom thereof, an ore-discharge spout 16, having a cut-off orcontrolling valve 17 and fitted to the tank in such a manner that theinner end thereof communicates with the interior of the tank above theplane of the top fibrous sheet 11 of the strainer. The ore pulp orslush, which is necessarily saturated with more or less of the cyanidsolution, passes through the discharge-spout 16 and is deposited intothe lixiviation-tanks, preferably of the type disclosed in my formerpatent, No. 611,515.

To provide for a proper mixing of the ore and cyanid solution within themixing-tank 1, the latter has arranged therein a revoluble agitator 1S.(Shown in detail in Fig. 4- of the drawings.) The revoluble agitator 18extends nearly the full height of the mixing-tank and is ofsubstantially the same width as the same to provide for a thoroughmixing or agitation of every particle of ore within the tank, and whilethis agitator is necessarily susceptible to modification in theconstruction thereof the same is preferably of the construction shown inFig. 4 of the drawings. As illustrated in this figure of the drawings,the agitator 18 essentially consists of a top supporting-spider 19,formed of the right-angularly intersecting cross-arms 20, a plurality ofspaced concentric rectangular bottom frames 2l of different sizes andarranged in the same horizontal plane, and a series of vertical parallelagitator-bars 22, depending from the under side of the cross-arms 2O ofthe supporting-spider and joined at their lower ends to the corners ofthe bottom frames 21. This completes the general structure of theagitator; butin order to thoroughlybrace the same to insure exceptionalstrength and the positive movement thereof within the tank oblique bracerods 23 are arranged at the sides of and connect the series ofagitatorbars 22 depending from the cross-arms at each side of the pointof intersection, and supplemental oblique brace-rods 24 connect theextremities of the cross-arms 20 with the outermost rectangular bottomframe 21 at the corners of the latter.

At their extremities the cross-arms 20 of the supporting-spider 19 areformed with spindles 25, on which areloosely mounted the traveler-Wheels 26, which travel in the annular trackgroove 2 at the top edge ofthe tank, thereby providing a wheeled support for the upper end of theagitator. The said top supportingspider 19 is fitted at its center tothe vertical agitator-shaft 27, the opposite ends of which arerespectively mounted inthe step-bearin gs 28 and 29, which arerespectively fitted to the ceiling and floor of the room in which themachine may be used. The shaft 27 imparts motion to the agitator, and atthe under side of the spider 19 and at the center' thereof is arranged abearing-block 30, turning in the combined bearing and oil-cup 31, formedat the upper end of a protective tube 32, arranged centrally within thetank and arising from the bottom thereof to the extreme top, as plainlyshown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and at this point it will be observedthat the tube 32, in connection with the cup 31, serves to drain off alloil, so that the oil which is used to lubricate the bearings cannotpossibly reach the interior of the mixing-tank. The agitator-shaft 27extends the full length of the tube 32 and has mounted thereon beneaththe tank a beveled gearwheel 33, meshing with a corresponding wheel 34on the inner end of the drive-shaft 35, supported in suitable bearings36 beneath the tank and having a suitable driving connection 37therewith.

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Now in the ordinary process of treating gold-bearing ores, as explainedin the statement of invention, the oxidized ore which has been crushedand reduced to the proper degree of ineness does not need roasting,While other portions of the ore must be subjected to the roasting step;but in the present invention instead of allowing the roasted ore to getentirely cold in the cooling-room the same is conveyed or deliveredthrough the feedchute 38 directly into the open upper end of themixing-tank 1 While the ore is still in a Warm condition. At the sametime a stream of the oxidized ore is delivered through the feed-chute 39into the open upper end of the mixing-tank, and both of the chutes aresupported in any suitable manner and used in connection with any type ofconveyer, so for this reason further illustration of the connectionswith the chutes 38 and 39 is not made in the present application. Whilethe ore `is being delivered into the mixing-tank a constant stream ofthe cyanid solution is also delivered into the tank through thesolutionsupply pipe 40, which is preferably fitted in one side of thetank near the top thereof, and as the agitator is constantly revolvingWithin the tank the entire mass of ore is intimately mixed with thesolution, thereby insuring an even and uniform extraction of theprecious metals from their ores. As previously explained, the goldbearing cyanid solution which passes through the strainer Within thebottom of the tank is carried by the drainagepipe 9 into thevprecipitation-room, and there is a constant iioW of this solution fromthe mixing-tank, and after precipitation of the metals from the cyanidsolution the barren solution may be used over again. The ore slush orpulp mixed With the solution discharges through the spout 16 and isdelivered to the cyanid-tanks for the purpose hereinbefore referred to.

In carrying out the invention it is necessary that the ore and cyanidsolution when being mixed together must be thoroughly aerated, so thatthe air will give up its oxygen and assist in dissolving the gold in thesolution. By using the cyanid solution instead of Water at the stamps itis not necessary to introduce'air into the mixture Within themixing-tank. To secure this result, the tank is provided near the topthereof with an exterior annular air-blast pipe 41, having a valvedsupply connection 42 therewith and provided With a plurality ofdepending jetpipes 43. These jet-pipes are also arranged exterior to thetank, at the outer side thereof, and are joined at their upper ends tothe main annular pipe 41, While the lower ends of said jet-pipes areprovided with short inturned nipple portions 44, which enter the tanknear the bottom thereof immediately above the plane of the strainer toprovide for inject-ing air into the mixture of ore and solution duringthe mixing thereof by the agitator. It will be observed that by reasonof having the j et-pipes 43 depend from the blastpipe 41 at the top ofthe tank the drawing in of sand into the said annular pipe 41 isprevented.

. By practical experiment it has been found necessary to have the cyanidsolution, which is mixed With the ore, quite Warm in order to secure thebest results in the separation of the metal from the ore, and a numberof expedients may be resorted to for the purpose of maintaining thesolution at a proper temperature. As the ore Which is introduced intothe tank 1 of the mixing-machine is used while in a Warm condition, thelsame Will necessarily serve to keep the cyanid solution warm, soordinarily, in connection With the mixing-machine, it Will not requiresupplemental means for heating up the cyanid solution; but it may benecessary at times to resort to supplemental means for heating thesolution before introd ncin g it into the mixingtank, and one Way toaccomplish this result is illustrated in the drawings, Where thesolution-supply pipe 40 is shown leading from a storage tank orreservoir 46 for the cyanid solution. This storage tank or reservoir 46may have arranged therein a heating-coil 47 of piping, the terminals ofwhich coil are connected with any suitable supply for steam or hot air,whereby a circulation of steam or hot air may be maintained in the coil,thus insuring the thorough heating up of the cyanid solution before itis delivered through the supply pipe or pipes to the point of use. Whilethe interior heating-coil 47 Within the storage tank or reservoir forthe cyanid solution Will accomplish the desired result, it will beunderstood that an exterior coil or any extraneous means for heating upthe solution may be utilized for the same purpose.

It has already been explained that ordinarily a separate heating of thesolution which is used in the mixing-tank is not necessary; but this isalways necessary when the cyanid solution is used at the stamp-mill orin any Wetcrushing-machine instead of Water, Which operation dispenseswith the necessity of introducing air into the mixture Within themixing-tank, as previously explained.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction,operation,andmany advantages of the herein-described machine Will be readily apparentto those skilled in the art Without further description, and it Will beunderstood that changes in the form, proportion, and the minor detailsof construction may be resorted to Without departing from the principleor sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what 'is claimed as new, anddesired to be secured IOO IOS

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communicating with the interior of the tank immediately above the planeof the false bottom, a revoluble agitator depending within the tank intoclose proximity with reference to the false bottom, and a plurality ofairjets arranged to communicate with the tank in a plane intermediatethe said false bottom and the lower end of the agitator thereabove,substantially as set forth.

2. In an ore-mixing machine, an open tank provided in the main bottomthereof with an annular drain-gutter pierced by drain openings or ports,a bottom strainer for the tank, said strainer being arranged above themain bottom and consisting of a perforate falsebottom plate having aplurality of perforated drip-grooves, and superposed spaced fibroussheets arranged over the said false-bottom plate, and a revolubleagitator arranged to work above said bottom strainer, substantially asset forth.

3. In an ore-mixing machine, an open tank provided in the main bottomthereof with an annular drain-gutter pierced at intervals by drainopenings or ports, a drainage-pipe having a plurality of valved branchesI-espectively leading to separate drain openings or ports, a strainerarranged within the bottom portion of the tank, a discharge-spoutcommunicating with the tank above the strainer, and an agitator,substantially as set forth.

4. In an ore-mixing machine, a tank provided at the bottom with asolution-drain, a bottom strainer for the tank consisting of a perforatefalse-bottom plate having an upstanding peripheral flange, anintermediate fibrous sheet confined within such flange, and

a second upper fibrous sheet having its edges stretched over and securedto the upstanding peripheral flange of the plate and an agitator,substantially as set forth.

5. An agitator for mixing-machines, con sisting of a top spider formedof intersecting cross-arms, a plurality of spaced concentric rectangularbottom frames of different sizes and arranged in the same horizontalplane, and a series of vertical agitator-bars depending from the undersides of the cross-arms and joined at their lower ends to the corners ofthe bottom frames, substantially as set forth.

6. In an ore-mixing machine, the combination with the tank having astrainer and a mixing device arranged above the latter, of an exteriorannular air-blast pipe encircling the tank and provided with a pluralityof' jets communicating with the interior thereof', substantially as setforth.

7. In an ore-mixing machine, the combination with a tank having astrainer and a mixing device arranged above the latter, of an exteriorannular air-blast pipe encircling the tank near the top thereof andprovided with a plurality of depending jet-pipes having their lower endscommunicating with the interior of the tank near the bottom thereof,substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesess.

JOHN 'PHILIP SCI-IUCH, JR.

Witnesses:

H. C. MCNETTY, A. B. OLSON.

